Opening Statement: Five-run first inning lifts Humboldt State to win over UC San Diego in West Regionals opener

ARCATA -- One player put the Jacks up, and the other kept the Tritons down.

Tonya Walker's two-run homer in the bottom of the first sparked Humboldt State's offense, and the home team belted its way to a 7-1 victory over UC San Diego in the NCAA Division II West Regionals Friday.

"They're a good team, they outhit us," Humboldt State head coach Frank Cheek said about the Tritons. "But we hit three homers, that was nice, and Tonya's ball was a shot."

Following Walker's homer, Humboldt put three more runs on the board in the first, as Megan Wink smacked a two-run double to left-center field and Andrea Chavez singled up the middle to score Wink.

UCSD -- who left 11 on base in the game -- threatened in the top of the second, loading the bases with one out on a single, a walk and a hit batsman.

Triton Taylor Sepulveda whacked a liner to left-center but Walker made a sensational defensive play. The center fielder sprinted over, caught the ball on the fly and fired a strike to catcher Courtney Hiatt, who made a superb tag on sliding pinch-runner Dyanna Imoto to complete the inning-ending, rally-killing, double play.

"I figured (Imoto) was going, and I had to catch it kind of awkwardly, so I thought I was going to have to spin around and make the best throw I could, and Courtney made a great tag," said Walker.

In the third, Humboldt starter Katie Obbema gave up a single and hit her second batter, prompting Cheek to bring in Lizzie Perez, who had not seen action in the circle since April 27.

Perez put out the fire and pitched the rest of the game to earn the W. She did not allow a run until two outs in the seventh when Caitlin Brown doubled to knock in Callie Grant.

"I was a little nervous, but I knew I had a rock-solid defense and they would help me if I ever got into a struggle," said Perez.

The Jacks defense sparkled in the top of the sixth.

First, left fielder Dani Randall raced back to the fence to glove Nicole Spangler's shot, and later first baseman Chrissy Stalf alertly threw across the diamond to shortstop Andrea Chavez covering third base to tag out Amani Proctor who tied to scamper first-to-third on McKenna Clewett's infield single.

People hoping to see Humboldt -- the top home run hitting team in the nation -- blast long balls were rewarded three times.

After Walker's first-inning dinger, her 11th of the season, Humboldt rocked two more in the home half of the fourth off Alexis Edwards.

With one out and nobody aboard, Randall belted her 17th, a shot to center. Following a ground-out, Hannah Williams walloped her 17th, a mammoth blast to left that soared past the American flag into the redwood trees.

Michelle Escamilla started for UCSD, lasted 2-3 of an inning and suffered the loss. Edwards and Kayla Hensel pitched in relief for the Tritons.

The teams have met once this season, with the Saints defeating the Jacks 5-4 on April 5 at the Tournament of Champions in Turlock.

If the Jacks win today's meeting, they will advance to Sunday's championship game at noon. If St. Martin's wins, Humboldt will play again at 4 p.m. today against the winner of the 1:30 p.m. contest between No. 4 seed Grand Canyon (39-15) and No. 8 seed UC San Diego (33-23).

Note: On Friday, the National Fastpitch Coaches Association announced its All-West Region team. Stalf, Hiatt and Williams were selected to the first team, while Obbema and Randall were named to the second team.